After a long period of relentless public denial, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna confessed their relationship while also making a big revelation about their marriage date. The celebrity couple is set to tie the knot in Udaipur on February 2026. Vijay and Rashmika have always known to be very close to each other but neither of them ever revealed anything about their relationship status.
Of course, their frequent updates on social media and their respective views on each other in interviews did suggest that something beyond friendship was brewing. Rashmika was previously engaged back in 2017 to actor Rakshit Shetty who had launched her with the blockbuster Kannada film Kirik Party in 2016.
In 2017, a grand engagement function had been held to officially announce Rakshit and Rashmika as a couple, although the marriage date wasn't made public at that point. Unfortunately, the wedding was called off in 2018 with both actors mentioning professional grounds as the main reason for the development.
Since then, Rakshit has often been less visible on social media while Rashmika had faced constant attacks from netizens who blamed her for ending the relationship. The cyber attacks were so heavy that Rakshit had to even come out of his social media detox to issue clarifications and the actor constantly backed Rashmika through his posts.
An interesting observation is that Rashmika and Vijay first met on the sets of Geetha Govindam in 2017, with the film releasing in 2018. It went onto become a big blockbuster and the duo's electrifying chemistry became the talk of the town. Since then, they have appeared in other films too, but Geetha Govindam remains the pinnacle of their jodi on-screen.
There were allegations that Rashmika had developed a bond with Vijay right during the shoot of this film in 2017 with some reports even claiming it to be the reason behind the end of her engagement with Rakshit. For close to eight years, there has been no clarification of this with Vijay and Rashmika claiming to be nothing more than 'close friends' on public platforms.
Whether there was a deeper bond between them back in 2017 itself or if it developed over the years, only they would know. However, it is also important to note that there is no right or wrong in relationships. Rashmika had a strong phase with Rakshit but it didn't quite materialise into a long-term bond.
When it comes to Vijay and Rashmika, it appears to be a case of a long-term bond that has evolved into a very special relationship. After the marriage in Udaipur, the couple is planning a huge reception that is reportedly scheduled for March 4.